Tale: The Witch Who Turned Herself To a Sow

Collected by Irene Carlisle
Transcribed by Mary C. Parler
Mrs. Betty Minnick
High, Arkansas
March 24, 1951
Reel 98, Item 4
The Witch Who Turned Herself To a Sow
Well; said they 'as, one time they 'as a boy said he—he didn't—
if he knowed of where any witches was, why, he'd kill 'em all; and said
that ever' day they'd be an old big sow would come there and pull his
little baby out at the door; and he'd run her off, and said that he said,
"It couldn't be a witch," and his wife said, "It might be a witch;"
says, "you know that somethin's wrong," said, "that sow wouldn't come
all the time."
He says, "I'm goin' to kill her." So they got him a great big
old long plank, and she come and tuck the baby, and started off with
it in his mouth—in its mouth—so this boy tuck a great big long piece
of timber, a big old two-by-four or sumpin', hit her on the back, and
broke her back down, And when he—when he broke her back in two, why there it
was his mother! His mother! And so he tuck her then, and put her between
two feather beds; that was the only way that they could kill the witches
them days, they put 'em between feather beds—and burnt her.
Said he hated awful bad to b u m his mother, but said that 'as the
only way that they could get shut of the witches.
...That 'as the way they done 'em...That 'as 'way back in the early
days. In the early days, that's the way they done 'em.

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

Collected by Irene Carlisle
Transcribed by Mary C. Parler
Mrs. Betty Minnick
High, Arkansas
March 24, 1951
Reel 98, Item 4
The Witch Who Turned Herself To a Sow
Well; said they 'as, one time they 'as a boy said he—he didn't—
if he knowed of where any witches was, why, he'd kill 'em all; and said
that ever' day they'd be an old big sow would come there and pull his
little baby out at the door; and he'd run her off, and said that he said,
"It couldn't be a witch," and his wife said, "It might be a witch;"
says, "you know that somethin's wrong," said, "that sow wouldn't come
all the time."
He says, "I'm goin' to kill her." So they got him a great big
old long plank, and she come and tuck the baby, and started off with
it in his mouth—in its mouth—so this boy tuck a great big long piece
of timber, a big old two-by-four or sumpin', hit her on the back, and
broke her back down, And when he—when he broke her back in two, why there it
was his mother! His mother! And so he tuck her then, and put her between
two feather beds; that was the only way that they could kill the witches
them days, they put 'em between feather beds—and burnt her.
Said he hated awful bad to b u m his mother, but said that 'as the
only way that they could get shut of the witches.
...That 'as the way they done 'em...That 'as 'way back in the early
days. In the early days, that's the way they done 'em.